WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 – Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., is leading a group of 40
House members, including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas,
R-Okla., in writing a letter to
Environmental Protection Agency acting administrator Bob Perciasepe expressing concern over
the agency releasing livestock producers’ private information to environmental
groups and asking the acting director to ensure the released information is not
improperly used.
“I have serious concerns over the
EPA’s release of this information, particularly regarding individual privacy
rights and possible bio-security threats to the nation’s food supply. Releasing
this type of information makes producers potential targets of harassment, or
even bio-terrorism,” said Crawford.
In the letter, the House members ask that the
agency suspend any plans to build a public database of Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operation information and ask EPA what steps it will take to
protect the affected producers.
“We urge you to suspend any
efforts to assemble a public, national database of detailed and person producer
information, and instead refocus your efforts to ensure that the recent release
of data is not misused in a way that threatens our nation’s producers and the
integrity of our nation’s food supply that farm families make possible,” states
the letter.
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